The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-06-11

Army OF the Cumberland-Thc BOYS
Among the Mountains of East Ton.
ncsscc.
1t was near tho middle Of April. Darkness
had settled down over the great bivouac.
Tho bng!cs had sounded the tattoo. Tho
sriz2lcd veterans who had been souatting
around tho camp fires, talking over the
scenes of tho past, and wondering when the
war would be OVERHEAD knocked tho ashes
from their pipes and crawlcd within their
little pup" tents, or their shelters mado Of
bouShs. All was still save tho measured
tread of tho sentincls as they passed to and
fro upon their beats around tho sleeping
army.
Suddenly there came rattling through tho
clear night air q sound that aroused every
soldier i'll an instant. Wc had often heard it
before and it always meant business. 1t was
tho long roll ut division headquarters. And
such long roll rs it was! Tho drummer
handled his sticks as if he was pounding for
his very life. When soldier hears the long
roll lie never waits for orders 1t isnn alarm
that has but ono meaning. His duty is to get
traps on and takc his place III lnc and to
bc very lively about it, too. Tho drums at
the headquarters of each brigade took up the
sound and the piercing blasts of bugles Joined
i'll the chorus. Startled from their sleep, tho
soldiers kicked Off their blankets, and it
wasn't minute until the companies were
formed, every man with his accoutcrmcntS
bucklcd on and his muskct Mt shoulder" III
response to the "Fall in!' of the orderly scr.
geants. Again drums and buglcs sounded,
the companies marched to tho color limo and
the regiments We're ready for action. 1t was
moonlcss night and the darkness of the oak
woods was but fccbly dispcllcl here and there
by the ilickcrmg light OF tho smoldering fires.
MOMENTS OF ANXIOUS SUSPENSE.
Every car was strained to catch tho rattle
of shots on the picket line. No sound was
heard save the hustle of thensscmbling troops
and the voices of the officers as they gnvo the
necessary commands. 1t was ono of those
moments of anxious suspense that test the
courage of the bravcst veteran.
An orderly from brigade helduuarters
dashed up and handed IL paper to the colonel
of our regiment. a bit of candle was found
and by its suffering light the colonel glanced
ut tho message. Jumping about four feet
into the air he gave one wild, piercing yell
that an Apache chief might strive in vain to
rival Veal thought for the moment that
lie had gone crazy. When he came down
he handed tho paper to tho adiutunt,
letting Off another yell, and told him
to read it to the regiment. 1t was copy
of telegram from Secretary Stanton
announcing the surrendered Lees army. The
scene that followed no words can Adequately
describe. The colonel and adjutant swung
their hats and danced around and fairly
lowlci Every officer and soldier in the rcgi-
mcnt and in every other regiment, did tile
same thing We had heard shouting and
yelling before, and had done our full share of
it on occasion, but never anything like that
which greeted the reading of this dispatch
From one end of the camp to tho other the
confusion and uproar were protligious. Men
laughed and danced and hugycd one another,
and rent the air with every kind of noise pos.
sihle tothc human voice pitched in its highest
key. 1t was us if the inmates of n score of
lullatic nsyluns had been turned loose in those
Tennessee woods.
When the yelling had i'll some degree sub
sided, from sheer vocal exhaustion, the sol
dcrs began to cast about for other means to
make n noise. 1t didn't matter what it was
-tle moro tiscordant the better, only so that
it h"lpe'l to swell the awful din Meanwhile,
nll the brass Lands wcro playing, though
nobody could tell what the tunes were; the
Shrek of flies and rattle Of drums were heard
on every hand, and the buglcrs strained to
make themselves heard until it seemed us if
they would blow their heads Off. Then the
artillery opened. Gun uftor gun Joined in
the mighty chorus until every battery i'll the
corps was sending forth its thundcrs to echo
among the mountains Regiment after rcgi-
ncnt began to fire their muskets. The men
took their cartridges from their boxes, poured
in the powder, rammed down the paper for
waGding, and blazed away The balls they
threw upon the ground; there was no further
uso for them
A LITERAL pAvnEuoytru